As I mentioned yesterday, today is a special, bittersweet day for me: it’s the anniversary of my mother’s death.

On a side note, I totally respect when other people feel the need to mitigate the situation for themselves, but for ME, I personally can’t stand when people say somebody “passed away.” My mom didn’t accidentally slip from my grasp. We’re big boys and girls: she died. (Bluntness is, of course, the inelegant way I occasionally cope with awkward things–but no need to treat it with kid gloves, you know?)

Anyhow, to send a little “I miss you!” out there into the atmosphere, I thought I’d post one of my favorite pictures of my mom, taken with my father in Baghdad in 1981, the year after I was born. (I trotted it out last year, in case you’re having deja vu.)

Love you, mama! Hope you’re having fun wherever you are and turning it into a wine-soaked gab-fest. xoxo